I know you have a heart
by Lil-Green-Leprechaun
Summary: When Tony Stark gets taken captive in Afganistan , he meets a woman that turns his life around. When Lilly goes missing from the cave thier being held in, he vows to get her back no matter what it takes.
1. Chapter 1

A sense of foreboding and confusion were what clouded Tony Stark's vision as he opened his eyes, wincing at the unbearable pain ripping through his chest, crossing his eyes he saw the long, clear tube sticking from his nose. Pulling a disgusted face, he gritted his teeth and tugged the piece of plastic away from his body, the feeling of it leaving his nasal cavity, making him want to gag, his body jerking upwards with the reflex action. Reaching over to his side, with clumsy hands he knocked a cup of water from the make shift work surface. His ears throbbed hearing movement around him, determined to see his companions, he twisted round but stopped as he felt something heavy being dragged by his chest. "I wouldn't do that if I were you." He tilted his head back to see an older looking thin man shaving, using the side of a pipe as a mirror before turning back to see what it was that had kept him from moving any further.

A car battery with some eastern writing on it greeted his dark eyes, with a set of wires connecting the heavy object to his chest that was swathed in grimy looking white bandages. "What have you done to me?" he growled, his voice harsh and croaky from being unconscious for so long. His numb fingers tore at the bandage, ripping it away from his body. The material tearing loudly in the silence of the cave. "It's a car battery love. It's keeping you alive; Yinsen here had to replace your heart." Said a soft feminine voice from the end of his bed. Craning his head he gazed at the woman before him, her figure hard for him to discern through his heavy lidded eyes. "But uh, he might be able to tell you more than me; apparently I'm rubbish at breaking news and explaining things." At her humorous statement his eyes boggled and his mouth fell open. "Please forgive her, she's a little tetchy today." The older man said placing his razor down into a metal bowl filled with water, and looking at the woman partially hidden in the darkness by the fire.

"You see this?" Yinsen asked waggling a small glass bottle in front of Tony's face, the tiny shards of metal rattling around inside of it. "This is what's in your chest; it's a common injury where I come from. In your chest is an electromagnet, it keeping the metal away from entering your heart." The older man stated, as he helped Tony clean the dried blood and sand off of his face and hands. "Basically if you take that thing out of your chest, you'll be dead within a week. A slow, painful death will be waiting for you my friend." Said the woman who was now bent over the fire, stirring a large pot of stew like food. Tony let his eyes wander over her doubled figure where a pair of frayed denim shorts, her tiny feet clothed in a pair of woolly grey calf length socks. Aware of his eyes on her body she straightened up turning to face him, "Oh, I'm sorry, that came out a little blunt and harsh didn't it?" a quirky grin crept onto her face, as she waved the battered metal ladle around in exaggerating gestures. Tony smiled his signature cocky grin, before hanging his head, and intently studying his battered and bruised hands, "No, it's probably best I hear it that way than it gets sugar coated. That way I know how to deal with it."

After a moment's pause, he heard a creak of springs and felt the mattress dip as she sat down beside him, wrapping her arms around him gently in a hug, being careful to avoid tugging on the wires connecting him to the battery. "You're a brave man, Mr Stark. It's a rare quality, in a man of your social stature." She almost whispered in his ear, making him chuckle, but the pain in his chest quickly cut the sound off quickly. "You know, you remind me of my PA Pepper. She's blunt but kind too." He looked up into her honey coloured eyes, "So what is your name? Miss blunt?" he asked with a smile. She returned his expression, before answering, "Me? I'm Lilly, Lilly King."


	2. Chapter 2

***Recap***

"You know, you remind me of my PA Pepper. She's blunt but kind too." He looked up into her honey coloured eyes, "So what is your name? Miss blunt?" he asked with a smile. She returned his expression, before answering, "Me? I'm Lilly, Lilly King."

"Well, miss Lilly King, thank you for being blunt with me, I think I probably needed it." He reached out and took her hand in his, squeezing it in a friendly gesture that felt slightly alien to him, making him draw his hand back quickly, feeling uncomfortable. Lilly smiled back at him, small dimples indenting her cheeks as she placed a dainty hand on his shoulder blade. Tony looked into her pretty eyes before she sighed and stood once again, going back over to stir the pot of stew that was bubbling gently in the black pot over the stove. "Yinsen do we have any herbs? This tastes like feet ... and not clean ones at that." She asked the older man after bringing a wooden spoon of the thick, brown liquid to her rose bud pink lips, and pulling a disgusted face at the vile taste. "On that alcove by the fire, in the clay cup. It will make it spicy though, is your palette up to that Stark?" He answered, looking over the top of his wiry round glasses at the younger man still sitting on the untidy cot, a blanket wrapped around his shoulders. "Yeah, I could eat anything right about now." He mumbled, relaxing and letting his body fall back onto the moth eaten mattress and pulling his feet up with him.

"Right boys, time for dinner." Lilly said ladling the thick liquid into three cracked clay bowls, picking up her own and Tony's bringing it over to him, He reached up and accepted the bowl from her hands, the heat seeping through the ceramic almost burning his fingers. She watched him eye the bowl's contents warily, before raising a spoon of the bubbling brown stew to his lips, and his nose wrinkle as a sudden waft of spice his nostrils making him cough at the rush of flavour. He swallowed his mouthful of food and turned to Lilly who was still watching him intently for his reaction. "Its, uh, good, really spicy, but good." She smiled at him, a light chuckle leaving her lips as she raised her own spoon to her lips. "If it wasn't for the spice, trust me, you would not eat it." Laughed Yinsen looking up from his own bowl. "My wife used to say, spice could make even dust edible." The two younger members of the trio smiled warmly, and continued eating, the only sounds in the cave being the scrape of metal spoons on the ceramic bowls, the shouting of Arabic men outside and the crackling of the fire.

When all of them had finished Lilly stood from her seat on the cot beside Tony and collected all three bowls, going to sit on the floor beside the fire where she began washing the bowls in a metal tub of warm water. Without warning the metal doors of the cave slammed open, and in swarmed a troop of Arabic men carrying guns, except one who lunged for Lilly, grabbing her long, curly ponytail, pulling her along by it, making her big brown eyes water painfully and a squeal to leave her mouth, as he shoved her onto her knees on the ground, digging his fingers into her shoulders through her black, white and yellow batman jersey, her blood seeping through the material where his long fingernails had sunk into her skin.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello my lovely readers! Thank you for your support and reviewers. it really means a lot to me.**

**Kikikiki - I'm really glad you like it, and no, there will be no rape, I can promise you that!**

**Phantom's Ange - Nope, its not good, but it should get better ... hopefully!  
**

**Disclaimer: unfortunatly I don't own the gorgeous Tony Stark, or anything associated with him, but Lilly is my creation.**

***Recap***

Without warning the metal doors of the cave slammed open, and in swarmed a troop of Arabic men carrying guns, except one who lunged for Lilly, grabbing her long, curly ponytail, pulling her along by it, making her big brown eyes water painfully and a squeal to leave her mouth, as he shoved her onto her knees on the ground, digging his fingers into her shoulders through her black, white and yellow batman jersey, her blood seeping through the material where his long fingernails had sunk into her skin.

A cacophony of yells in a variety of languages swarmed the small confines of the cave, as well as Lilly's whimpers of pain, that earned her a sharp slap in the face from one of the calloused hands holding her to the floor. Seeing the act of violence towards the young woman on the ground Tony leapt from his seat on the cot, totally forgetting about the car battery hooked to his chest, sending it clattering to the dirty floor. "WHAT DO YOU WANT? LET GO OF HER!" He shouted struggling to get up under the weight of the fallen object, the metal casing now sporting a rather large dent. The members of the ten rings immediately pointed five guns in his face, all cocked and ready to fire. Yinsen advanced towards Tony, trying to hold him back but faltered as one of the guns was raised to his face, bending only to wrap a hand around the younger man's arm in an attempt to pull him back. "You Stark?" Asked the main terrorist of the group pointing a pudgy, dirty finger at the billionaire's face. Tony stared back at the man before him, a look of hatred and determination, set deeply into his deep brown eyes.

The baking sun burnt down onto the courtyard where Tony and Yinsen stood before the leader of the ten rings, ropes tied to their wrists. "Tony Stark, A pleasure to meet the man who brings such destruction to the world." Said the man before them, squinting at the pair through a pair of visor sunglasses. Tony rolled his eyes and looked over at the slumped figure of Lilly thrown over the shoulder of one of the terrorists nearby, a trickle of blood running down her forehead. "What do you want from me?" Tony growled once again turning his attention back to the man in front of him, a scowl twisting his beautiful face. "I want you to build me a Jericho missile. We have all you need." The man in front of him then turned addressing Yinsen in a language he didn't understand, before looking back to the billionaire with a fake kind smile. "What did he say Yinsen?" he whispered, his eyes never leaving the man in front of him. Yinsen leaned over and kept his voice low as he spoke into Tony's ear, "He says when you finish the missile he'll let you go." The younger man let out a short sarcastic chuckle and muttered "no he won't." Yinsen nodded and agreed with him, "No, he won't."

"Right, I'm going to need good light in here if I'm going to work, some tools, a melding cup and ... Hey! Put her down gently don't throw her she's not a piece of trash you need to dispose of!" Tony shouted as he glared at the man who had just thrown Lilly onto the dust covered floor, her head bouncing painfully on a rock. He put down the welding tool with a loud clatter and strode over to her, picking her lip figure up in his arms and laying her gently on the cot before signalling to Yinsen that she might need a doctor's attention. When he turned back to his work station he saw the head of the ten rings glowering at him, and then over to Lilly, "She's a woman, not a piece of meat. She needs to be treated with care." He said just loud enough for the other man to hear.

"You know, The Tony Stark I met at that conference wouldn't have even cared about a girl being thrown around." Yinsen stated, looking at Tony over the top of his wiry glasses as he moved a piece on the backgammon board. The younger man sipped water casually from a cracked clay mug, before turning his gaze to the sleeping figure of Lilly, a grubby bandage wrapped around her head and a ratty blanket pulled up over her body, "I might have seen my fair share of girls naked and done a few bad things, but everyone deserves to be treated like a human being, like she treated me ... it's going to be a important thing here, I can tell." Yinsen smiled softly to himself watching the dark haired man in front of him, "Not many people, treat me like a normal human, apart from Pepper and Rhodey ... I think it's good for me to be around people who treat me like a human." Yinsen got up and walked over to Lilly as she stirred in her sleep, so he could check her head wounds. "Maybe I'll change your life Stark hmm?" he asked, seeing Tony tapping his fingers on his car battery in thought.


	4. Chapter 4

**I want to thank everyone who read and reviewed my story I'm glad you like it! but please keep letting me know if you like it.**

**Kikikiki - I know, I find it quite hard to read stuff with rape. And yeah, I'd like to think Tony could be romantic and caring in thier situation! I would turn it off but I have no idea how! ha ha!**

**Disclaimer: Unfortunatly I don't own Tony Stark (mores the pity) or Iron man in any way ... I just wish I did!  
**

"What's that?" Lilly asked as she tiptoed to see over Tony's shoulder to what see the long piece of metal he was pulling out of the missile in front of him was. Without even looking away from the object he replied to her quietly as he moved the item onto the side and pulled it apart before eventually holding up what looked like a flimsy piece of metal sheet, "Its palladium, .15 grams, but we need more, so Yinsen, break open those other missiles." He threw the shell that had encased the sliver of metal over his shoulder with an almost inaudible "we don't need this anymore." Lilly just rolled her eyes at his actions, which had gotten increasingly grumpy over the weeks they had been in the cramped cave, and picked up the discarded casing pointing to the ever watching camera, "Stark you need to be more careful, they are constantly watching us, and all of us, especially you, want to get out of here and go back to our homes." She growled an unusually vicious tone in her voice. He quickly spun around to look at the tiny brunette as she sat heavily on the old cot, the frame creaking loudly beneath her, her head in her hands. Tony opened his mouth to shout back at her, but closed his mouth when Yinsen shot him a warning look over the top of his glasses, "Tony, leave her be." The billionaire nodded turning back to his work taking his frustration out on the missile he was dismantling.

"Be careful, we only have one chance at this." Tony said as he followed closely behind Yinsen who was carrying a metal cup in a wide pair of pliers that was brimming with melted palladium, the pair trying their hardest to avoid the cot where Lilly was sleeping, curled up in a ball with her raggedy blanket covering her again. "Relax; I have steady hands, why do you think you're still alive eh?" Tony just nodded and watched the older man pour the liquid into a mould, being careful to let any drip down the side of the cup. Heavy footsteps and shouts drew the pair's attention up to the bolted metal doors as they waited for their captors to throw the panels open. A bearded man dressed in all black stood in the door way one hand holding a big gun, and a wicker bag over his other arm. He threw the bag at Tony who caught it swiftly before it hit the ground. "Fresh meat Stark. You get girl to cook." The two companions looked at each other in suspicion as the man left them. "They've been sending us fresh meat for a week now; you think they're up to something?" The young Billionaire asked putting the bag down in a shady cubby hole to keep it cool. "Mmm, it is suspicious. But I really don't think Lilly is in any fit state to cook, she has a cold sweat." Yinsen agreed going to kneel beside the sleeping woman, gently moving her head around to get a better feel of her slowed pulse, her flesh clammy beneath his fingers. "We're going to have to work fast with this Stark; she won't last long with this fever."

Tony nodded and made his way over to join Yinsen at Lilly's bedside, he kneeled beside her pushing wet strands of hair away from her sweaty forehead, watching her chest rise and fall in ragged breath. "We will have to work day and night then, I won't let her die here, I can't, she deserves better. Let's get to work, the sooner I can get that arc reactor to work, the sooner we can put our plan into action."

"Stark, take this to Lilly, try to get her to eat, she needs her strength." Yinsen said thrusting a chipped bowl of stew into the younger man's hand. Tony accepted and made his way over to the cot where Lilly was still laying in a comatosed state. Placing the bowl on the ground, he gently lifted her by the shoulders and sat where her head had previously been resting, her head now nestled in his lap. At the movement she stirred and opened her big brown eyes to gaze up at him. The blue light from his arc reactor shining onto her skin, she raised her fingers to brush them lightly across the metal and glass. "Tony, what ..." her voice tailed off as she struggled to breathe. He helped her to sit up and use his arm for support before answering her question. "It's an arc reactor; it works the same as the car battery keeping me alive. I have a giant one powering my factory at home. Now come on, you need to eat something." He squeezed her hand encouragingly and helped her eat a few mouthfuls of the stew talking to her all the while to maintain her consciousness that was fading rapidly.

Somewhere in a sweltering hot clay house, the leader of the ten rings and his right hand man watched the dark haired genius holding the limp young woman in his arms, helping her to eat. Even through the bad visual quality of the camera, the men could see the ghostly colour of her skin and the shaking of her fragile body. "I see you've been giving her the right amount, we don't want to snuff her out just yet. We will break Stark using this one and bend him to our will. Make sure you give her another dose this night as they sleep." The bearded man nodded at his commander and left the room, walking back out into the streets.


	5. Chapter 5

**Once Again I'd like to thank all my readers you lovely, lovely people! please keep reading and please review! I don't bite and I'd really like to hear your opinions and any suggestions you may have. And I'd especially like to thank Kikikiki for reading and reviewing every chapter, your support means a lot!**

**Disclaimer: Once again I just want to say I don't own Tony Stark, but I'd just love it if I could!**

"Did you do it?" Raza the head of the ten Rings asked his second in command, a chunky dark haired and bearded man when he entered the baking hot clay room. "Yes, the sedative in the meat made them all sleep fine, no one awoke. I gave her 20ml." Raza nodded and waved the man out of the room, before dialling a number on an old and well battered telephone, "3 more days, and we will have him." The man on the other end mumbled in acknowledgement and cut the connection leaving the line fizzing with static.

* * *

"Urg, I think my head is exploding" moaned Tony Stark as he sat up from his cot, his hands pressed firmly against the sides of his head a sharp pain shooting through his skull. A noise on the other side of the room drew his eye line to Yinsen who sat against the fireplace nursing a mug of water and rubbing his eyes, his glasses on left abandoned on the floor by his knees. "I agree with you there Stark" he grumbled, his accent thicker than usual. Tony nodded and stood, walking behind the screen that they used as a bathroom, as Yinsen made his way to Lilly who was still sleeping on her uncomfortable looking cot, a thin layer of sweat clearly visible on her skin. The old doctor sat beside her crookedly placed legs and ran a hand across her forehead while checking her pulse. "She's cold, but alive, a very weak pulse though, we will have to work quickly, we have days at most."

Tony who was still behind the screen paused in what he was doing, his fingers gripping the rim of the makeshift sink, his knuckles turning white under the pressure. "We will do it, I promise I'll get you both to your families." He growled, remerging into the cave's main room and striding purposely over to his work station, gathering up a selection of yellow papers with mathematic pencil drawings on, that he quickly rearranged under one another. Pressing the papers flat to the work surface he beckoned his older companion over, "This is how we get out of here." He pointed, with an unusually grubby finger the sketch that looked to be a giant man made of metal with various gadgets. "That doesn't look like a Jericho missile." Joked Yinsen taking a closer look at the drawing as Tony chuckled and grabbed a plate of metal and a hammer making his way over to the fire.

Tony finished knocking the metal helmet in his hand, and pushed up the chunky welders mask before dunking the hunk of metal into a bucket of cold water, clouds of white smoke rising into the air being accompanied by a loud hiss. "That's basically it Stark, you've done it" Yinsen said waving Tony over to take his place by Lilly's side, as Tony sat down on the moth eaten mattress he took the pretty girl's clammy hand in his hand.

"Tony" she breathed opening her pretty honey coloured eyes, her dark eyelashes fluttering with fatigue and her voice harsh and scratchy. The billionaire squeezed her hand and pushed a few loose curls behind her ear in a calming manner. "Do you think we'll ever get out of here? I want to get back to my family and my baby sister, I miss them so much. Do you miss anything from home?" She asked, trying her hardest to get her voice back. Tony pursed his lips in thought before answering her question, "I miss my cars, I spend a lot of time working on my cars." He chuckled as she lightly smacked his arm, a smile adorning her abnormally pale lips, "Ok, ok, I miss my friends, but I'm sure I'll never hear the end of it from Rhodey." He laughed at her raised eyebrows and swiftly explained himself "I wouldn't ride in the vehicle with him, I told him I was staying in the 'fun-V' not his 'hum drum-V'" A smile lit up Tony's face when he saw her fragile body shake with as strong giggles as she could muster. "No, seriously, I did." He said trying to hold back his own chuckles as he tried to defend himself, "I don't doubt. Ha ha. It sounds like something my friend Max would do. I'm sure he'll let it go eventually."

"So, tell me about your family, as you seem to know all about mine." Tony said an hour later as he sat cross legged in front of her on the cot. The pair had talked their way into the late hours of the night, getting to know each other better in a more relaxed environment. "My dad is Lieutenant Marshall King in the US air force; I believe he knows your friend Rhodey quite well, my mum used to be a ballerina in the Royal ballet in London but she gave it up when my baby sister Mia was born. My older brother Jack is in the Air force too, I miss them all so much; I'm incredibly close with my family." Tony smiled and leaned back on his elbow, but his eyes never leaving hers, "that must be nice, I was never close with my family, my dad was really cold towards me, but I think he was like that with everyone so I didn't really notice back then." Lilly smiled and leaned towards him enveloping him in a soul warming all be it weak hug, before pulling back and kissing him gently on his cheek, she stopped gazing into his big brown eyes with her own honey coloured irises.

Tony drew in a breath as he took in her appearance by the crackling firelight. Both her skin and hair glowed with a beautiful yellow undertone. He felt his chest tighten as she gave a sweet smile and self consciously slipped a piece of her dark brown curls behind her ear. He sighed and resigned himself to getting up, taking hold of her hand as he went, pressing his lips to her soft skin gently before quietly uttering "Good night Lilly, sleep well." Before picking up his and Lilly's bowl from their earlier meat stew and putting them on the side, making his way to his own cot, watching as she slipped quickly into a deep sleep. Shaking the thoughts of how angelic she looked out of his head as he laid down himself and letting sleep envelope him.

* * *

"Stark! Stark! You need to get up now!" Shouted Yinsen shaking the younger man out of his slumber hard by the shoulders. Tony opened his bleary eyes, trying to blink sleep away and fighting the pain of yet another skull splitting headache. "Stark, you need to get up, she's gone! Lilly's gone." Not believing what the older man said Tony sat up running to the tiny brunette's side of the room where her cot was empty, her blanket strewn across the floor and her pillow thrown carelessly by the fire. His eyes were drawn to the painful looking scratches in the dusty ground, where the poor girl had obviously dug her nails in the ground.

Yinsen watched as the younger man turned back towards him, his dark eyes red lined and brimming with angry tears as he gritted his teeth. "Now they're asking for a fight."


	6. Chapter 6

**Hello all my lovely readers! once again thank you so much for reading my story and favouriting and reviewing! it really means a lot! I hope you enjoy this chapter, it covers quite a bit of ground! I'd especially like to thank Kikikiki and BrittanyMichele for reviewing!**

**BrittanyMichele - Yeah, pissed off is an understatement! I like RDJ pissed off ... makes my knees go weak! ha ha!**

**Kikikiki - Thank you hun, glad you're enjoying them!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Tony stark ... or Iron man ... but i wish I did! :'( **

"You sure you're ready for this Stark?" Yinsen asked standing in front of the younger man, he metal chest plate gripped tightly in his hands as Tony tugged on a pair of thick leather gloves, his big brown eyes aflame with determination and anger, "Oh trust me, I'm ready, I need to find her and get her back to her family, she was so heartbroken to be away from them." Yinsen smiled helping the young billionaire tug on a leather sheath coat before strapping the metal plate to his chest, making sure the blue light of his arc reactor was showing through the central glass panel. "Are you sure that's why you want to find her?" he asked a sly smile on his age weary face as he tugged on the straps securing the panel to Tony's toned chest, he averted his eyes, not quite knowing how to answer the doctor, continuing to pull on the different sections of metal armour.

* * *

"Right, I need you to activate that status bar, now Yinsen, now" Tony said pointing to the old style laptop on the worktop, his voice stern as he gave orders to the older man, who obeyed quickly and pressed a button launching the status bar that was connected to the set of mini bombs attached to the big metal doors, "Ok, now get over here and tighten these straps and unhook me, we don't have much time." Yinsen quickly obliged once again pulling the suit's leather straps taught and using all his strength to hoist Tony's metal clad body to the ground, his feet landing on the dusty floor with a loud thud.

"We need more time; they're going to be here before its finished loading." Panicked Yinsen, listening intently to the shouting of Arabic men growing louder as the ten rings advanced down the corridor towards their cave. "How long have we got?" Tony asked, lumbering his way into the shadows, the heavy metal clanking as he moved. "It's about half way ... We're not going to make it." Yelled Yinsen glancing towards the darkened shadow that hid the young billionaire, he let his eyes travel back up to the doorway before grabbing a gun and heading towards the doorway "I'm going to buy you some time Stark." Tony's eyes widened as he watched Yinsen leave, shouting after his retreating figure "Stick to the plan! Yinsen! Stick to the plan!" butthe only reply that came was a violent shout and the ricochet of bullets.

* * *

Tony braced himself in the darkness, his hands curling into angered fists as he watched the members of the ten rings search the cave, he readied himself to spring on them, throwing the closest man to him to the far wall by his neck instantly knocking him out, he applied the same technique to the other 2 members in the cave, before making his way outside into the baking sun swathed courtyard, Stopping on his way to hunch over the limp, crushed form of Yinsen in the cave's mouth, the old man's glasses cracked and hanging askew from his ears. "Come on Yinsen, we can go now, come on, you can go back to his family." Tony said pushing up his helmet in order to see his friend better. "I am going to see them now Stark, my family is dead. This is what I want." The younger man nodded, his chest hurting as he watched the doctor slowly dying. "Find her Stark; even if you don't do it for her family ... do it for yourself ... you need someone to keep you grounded." With a heavy laden breath Yinsen's eyes slid slowly closed and his chest grew still.

"Where is she?" Tony roared at the leader of the ten rings as he stood before him, chest heaving in the metal suit, the heat making him sweat. The man before him sneered and turned to run away, quickly igniting a spark of anger and hated in Tony's already dark eyes, the irises turning from his usual dark brown eyes flashing a shade close to jet black. "I said where is she?" He hollered thundering after Raza who's frame was dwarfed by the scrappily pieced together metal suit. He cornered Raza against a half broken down wall, and wrapped a hand around his throat, squeezing until the man's tanned skin turned an unattractive shade of blue as he struggled to breathe. "Where IS she?" Raza shook his head, a spluttering laugh leaving his lips. "You'll never see her again Stark. No one will ... She went down easy in her state ... So pretty too... I watched the life leave her eyes." He cackled, making Tony grit his teeth and hold back tears, dropping the man before him out of shock at the statement, his hands shaking violently in their metal shells, and tears ran down his cheeks leaving clean tracks in their wake. "You ... you killed her?" He asked his voice wobbled with sadness and anger as he backed away, stumbling slightly, oblivious to the fire, shouting and gunfire going on around him. Shaking his head and trying to clear the tears from his eyes, Tony pressed a red button on his inner arm, feeling himself being lifted off the floor and being propelled out of the now destroyed village.

* * *

"NOOOO!" He cried as he walked through the desert, the worn leather jacket he'd had on beneath his metal suit wrapped around his head and shoulders protecting himself from the unbearable heat, tears continually running down his cheeks. The sound of choppers circling above him caused him to look up, and wave his arms about shouting for their attention. As the helicopters landed, he slumped to his knees in the sand. Tony smiled seeing the man in camouflage running towards him with a big grin on his face "Next time you ride with me ok?" Said Rhodey as he kneeled beside his best friend enveloping him in a manly hug.

* * *

"You've not been yourself since we found you. Here, have a drink mate." Rhodey said pouring whisky into two tumblers, cubes of ice clinking in the glasses as he handed it to the numb looking Tony who was sat on the edge of a luxurious hotel bed, his clean and freshly pressed white shirt hanging open with his black tie loose around his neck and his head bowed, long dark hair hanging in front of his eyes. "Shit man ... you look like crap." Rhodey said looking into his best friend's red rimmed dark eyes, you want to talk?" Tony nodded, gulping down his whisky in one go pulling a face. "You ever found someone in your life Rhodey that made your life so different in a short space of time, and you don't know how to live through everything without them?" Rhodey nodded and gestured for his friend to carry on, "See, while I was in that cave, I met a girl, she ... she showed me what was wrong with my life ... She was sweet and beautiful ... more than beautiful ... with long dark hair and the most intense honey coloured eyes ..." Rhodey grinned, knowing that Tony's unhappiness had to be linked to a girl, but he wasn't prepared for what he said next "She didn't deserve to die, I'd have given everything to save her ... I'd have given my life." That comment was enough to make Rhodey's eyes widen in shock and his mouth to fall open.

A knock sounded on the Hotel room door, and Rhodey moved to open it, letting a young man of about 22 in, wearing a blue airman's uniform and twisting a hat around nervously in his hands. "Hello Jack, What can I do for you?" At hearing the newest man's name Tony looked up and felt a lump lodge in his throat as he took in the young man's curly dark brown hair and honey coloured eyes, "Jack? Jack King?" Jack turned to Tony and nodded slowly "Yes Mr Stark, that's right." Tony swallowed, trying to stop himself from asking the next question that left his lips "Do you have a sister called Lilly?" Jack smiled fondly at the mention of his sister as he nodded, but his face fell seeing the saddened look on the billionaires face, "What about her sir?"...

* * *

Lilly cracked her eyes open slightly, fighting back a painful headache, all that met her sore eyes was darkness as she tried to move her body, but feeling her leg getting caught on something. A tear rolled down her cheek as she heard footsteps "Tony? Tony?" she called reaching her hands out in the blackness, her fingers finding the crease of a pair of suit trousers, "Not quite Miss King" boomed the deep American accent from above her. She swallowed loudly as she quickly pulled her hand back to her chest in fright as she scrambled back towards the wall.


	7. Chapter 7

**I'm really sorry this has taken so long to come out ... a lot of things got in the way ... i just hope it was worth the wait! Thank you to everyone who reviewed, favourited and subscribed, it really helps. **

**Disclaimer: Again, unfortunatly I dont own Tony, Rhodey or Stane ... but Lilly and Jack are mine ... along with the rest of thier family!**

"What happened to her Mr Stark? Please?" said the young airman, his big honey coloured eyes blinking at Tony, tears brimming in the corners of his eyes. Tony felt his heart clench, his chest feeling tight as he saw Lilly in her younger brother's eyes, saw her long dark hair and sweet smile and felt his own tears welling up, threatening to pour down his cheeks. Rhodey looked between his visibly shaken best friend, and the now anxious looking young man, who was twisting his air force uniform hat in his wringing hands. "Please Mr Stark, my family have been worrying about her for months, please tell me she's ok?" Tony swallowed hard, his adam's apple bobbing violently in his throat, and the tears finally poured from his dark eyes, before he answered Jack's heart wrenching question he ran large hand over his face in an attempt to compose himself. "I'm sorry ..." was all the young billionaire had to say for Jack to understand that his sister was far from ok.

The young airman crumbled into a heap on the floor, All dignity lost as he shamelessly blubbed, his mind lost in sorrow. Rhodey looked from the crying boy up to his best friend who had moved to sit beside Jack on the floor, an arm awkwardly placed around his shaking shoulders. "She was a good girl Jack, made me realise everything I needed to do to make my life worthwhile." Jack sniffed, pushing back a cascade of tears before they poured down his face once again. "Thank you sir, I love my sister very much" The young man turned his watery gaze up to Rhodey, who had taken a seat on a plush arm chair, a saddened look on his face, "I'm sorry sir, I let my emotions get the better of me." He said getting to his feet and trying to straighten out his uniform before running a hand over his dark brown curls trying to tame the unruly mess. Rhodey shook his head and told him it was understandable and that he had nothing to be sorry about, and the younger man reached for the door, readying himself for his exit. "Well thank you Lieutenant Rhodes and thank you so much Mr Stark. I, uh, should go and tell my family. Tony nodded watching him leave, before wandering over to the room's plush bed, falling back onto it, his big hands covering his face in exasperation. His chest throbbed painfully, the metal heating where his broken heart should be.

* * *

"Come here you snivelling little girl" growled the American accent in the dark, making Lilly dig her fingernails into the palms of his hands in fear, a small trickle of blood staining her skin. Her body shook with tears and she squeezed her big brown eyes closed in an attempt to block out the heavy set man who was advancing towards her, his footsteps heavy on the stone ground. A chubby and calloused hand gripped her by the throat, dragging her body up to be pinned against the oddly wet wall. The man holding her gave a grunt as he fished around in a pocket before pulling out a torch and shining it in her face. "Open your eyes" Lilly just whimpered refusing to do as he asked, using all her energy to stay conscious through her cut off windpipe. "I said open your eyes. NOW." He shouted flexing his fingers to inflict a rush of pain making her gasp and her eyes to open wide, a panicked glint making them glow through painfully hot tears that dripped down her cheek and onto the hand that help her up.

Lilly's mind reeled as she struggled for breath, as she stared back into the cold, calculating eyes of Obadiah Stane, his face held a sinister grin as he used a painfully strong thumb to turn her face, looking at her from all angles. "Awe you'll do, look at that beautiful face, no wonder you caught Stark's eye." Just as Lilly started to see black spots appearing before her eyes, her body plummeted to the ground with a loud thump as Stane released her throat.

Her eyes started to water again at the pain running though her severely sore foot and she held the limb, trying to assess the damage, making her unaware of the heavy mallet coming down on the back of her head, making her slump forward onto the dirty floor, her hair now matted with blood and her body limp.

* * *

"You ready man?" Rhodey asked Pushing his best friend's wheelchair to the jet's landing ramp. Tony flexed his good arm as he stood, determined to prove to the press he was well and almost back to normal state, he was dressed smartly in an olive green shirt and tie and his thick dark hair combed back, the only things slightly out of place were the healing grazes on his face and the sling that held his right arm to his chest. "Yeah I'm ready ..."

The metal door to the plane opened revealing the runway filled with people including Pepper and Happy who were stood waiting for him by his black limousine. He swallowed swiftly and started to limp his way down the ramp, pushing the wheel chair Rhodey offered to him away. "I can walk" he mumbled as he squinted using his free hand to shade his eyes from the beaming sun. Out of the corner of his eye he saw an ambulance and its paramedics rushing towards him with a stretcher, "Get that thing away from me. I don't need it" he snarled and continued walking until he stopped in front of Pepper, whose eyes were red lined from crying. "Shedding a few tears for your long lost boss?" The redhead before him nodded, sniffing back a few unshed tears, before letting her lips slide into a small smile, "I hate job hunting" Tony Chuckled, and nodded to Happy before looking around him at the uniformed military men stood by the plane he previously occupied, he was surprised to see Jack stood in line, his eyes dripping with almost invisible tears.


	8. Chapter 8

**Hello all, another chapter done! I hope you like it? its sort of an intro for them to be thrown back together... Please let me know what you think ... and again I want to thank everyone for reviewing and subscribing to this story ... It makes me happy people like it!** **And I want to throw a special shout out to Kikikiki, who has reviewed and supported all the way through so far, so thank you! **

**Disclaimer: I dont own tony or any other Iron man characters, I just borrow them on the odd occasion!  
**

"And that is why I'm closing down the weapons manufacturing department of Stark Industries." Tony addressed the conference room full of press, earning a mass rumbling of shouted questions and outraged comments from the crowd around him. Obadiah Stane quickly cleared his throat and strode towards the stand, wrapping his arm around Tony's broad shoulders, and subtly moving him away from the microphone. "Ha ha, isn't he a hoot ... Tony Its good to have you back ... I assure you Ladies and gentleman, that Mr Stark here isn't serious ... it's the jet lag talking ... now come on Mr Stark, why don't you go lay down? I'll take it from here." Tony opened his mouth to speak, but felt himself being dragged away from the press conference and into an empty side room by a giant of a security guard dressed in all black, the frantic clip clop of Pepper's heel s following behind them at a fast pace.

"What was that? What was even going through your head?" Pepper raged as Tony sat down, on a plump black leather sofa, her ankles crossed in front of him. "I don't want to make weapons anymore Pepper. Not after everything I saw when I was out there? I saw people die ... I lost an innocent girl ... she didn't deserve to die" Pepper's eyes widened as she watched a tear drip down his cheek, but bit her lip and turned her back choosing not to ask him about it yet, the look on his face told her without word that his emotions were too raw to be prodded about it. The young billionaire sighed and got to his feet heading to the double glass doors that adjoined the small room to the chamber that housed the giant arc reactor. "I'm uh, going to go and uh, think." He said, letting the door clatter shut behind him.

* * *

Tony sighed for what felt like the 100th time since leaving Afghanistan as his mind wound its way back to Yinsen and Lilly, his wise words and her pretty face flashed across his mind. "Well, that uh, that went well" Tony looked up at Obadiah who had just joined him placed a cigar in his mouth. Loosening his tie, the younger man swallowed harshly before asking "Did I just paint a target on the back on my head?" Obie, let a chuckle leave his mouth "What about my head?"

* * *

"Arc reactor technology, it was a publicity stunt, its a dead end, am I right? Huh Tony? Am I right? We've not had a breakthrough in what 30 years?" Tony held back a smile realising where the older man was going with his little lecture of failing technology "What did they say? You couldn't have a lousier poker face. Come on, who told you? Was it Rhodey or Pepper?"

"Never mind who told me, Show me" Stane said indicating Tony's chest with his cigar "I want to see it, show me." But Tony continued to talk over him "Rhodey or Pepper?" Obie cut him off once again, "I want to see it" Tony shook his head and tugged the top buttons of his shirt open to reveal a slice of metal and blue light. The older man chuckled and started to re button Tony's shirt as Tony tried to defend his technology, "It works." Obadiah laughed and slung his arm carefully around Tony's shoulders much like he had during the press conference, "Tony we're a team much like your father and I, there's nothing we can't do if we stick together."

"Look, I'm sorry I didn't give you a heads up, but if I ..." "Tony, no more of this Ready, fire, business, you gotta let me handle this we're playing a whole different kind of ball now, we're going to have to take a lot of heat and you'll have to promise me you'll lay low. " Obadiah commanded leading the pair out of the doors to where their cars were waiting. Tony watched Obie make his way to his black BMW when he saw a woman move in the back of the older man's car. It was merely a split second, but he was sure he recognised those honey coloured eyes and dark curls he could just make out through the tinted glass. Tony's brow creased as he watched his old family friend drive away, he was sure he saw Lilly's eyes, but he shook his head telling himself it was impossible, sliding into the passenger seat of his own car as Happy revved the engine. "You ok Mr stark?" Pepper asked seeing the pained and confused look on her boss' face.

* * *

"So it is true." Obadiah Stane said to his driver, letting his eyes flick up to the car's rear-view mirror, taking in Lilly's tear stained face. "And you my dear, will be the key to bringing that jumped up little prick down to his rightful level." Lilly scowled back at the mirror and spoke for the first time since he had captured her. "And how do you plan to do that?" Obie let loose an evil chuckle never breaking his eye contact with the broken and bruised girl in the back of his car. "How? I'm going to parade you under his nose my dear girl, and use you to take him down piece by piece. You are the ace up my sleeve." Lilly frowned, and struggled against the rope attaching her wrists together, "Again! How do you plan to do that? He knows what I look like!" She exclaimed giving up on struggling, and slouched against the leather seats, blinking back tears from her already sore eyes. "Mmm but you won't be looking the same for long, and you will do what I want. Because if you don't, I'm going to take down your family, one by one, which won't be easy as" he paused and chuckled in a self affirming manner "Both your father and brother are in the air force, making them easy to get to, but that little sister of yours, She looks like a peach, and I'm sure some men in the middle east would pay vast amounts for her and your mother ... it'd be a shame if something should happen to them don't you think?"

Lilly found a fresh set of tears running down her cheeks as the car came to a halt outside Stane's mansion and the man himself, pulled her out of the back seat, using her binding rope and nodding to the drive to shut the door behind her. "Hmm I thought that'd bring you round to my way of thinking Miss King." He whispered in her ear as he led her through the house to a mahogany and glass decorated room where three women stood in tunics awaiting them and two big muscle bound body guards stood by at the doors. Obadiah pushed the young woman into the chair in the centre of the room and nodded to the women around her, "Do your best ladies ... I need her to look unrecognisable."

Lilly's eyes widened as she looked up at the three women advancing on her with bottles of dye, and scissors. "No!" she shouted trying to get away but one held her down. "No please!"


	9. Chapter 9

**Here we are this is the next chapter! please let me know if you like it? And i realised in an earlier chapter I said her brother Jack was older but i changed it to younger, cos i think it fits better, please let me know what you think.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Tony, Iron man or the gorgeous Robert Downey Jr ... unfortunatly! :(  
**

Pepper Potts sighed and winced as she watched the obnoxious, shouting man on the window turned TV, smashing mugs and crowing on about how Stark industries shares were crashing rapidly in the light of Tony's recent announcement. She let her eyes float down to her laptop and her dainty fingers tapped away on the keyboard, and adjusted herself on the plush, black leather stool she was sitting on.

"Pepper? How big are your hands?" Asked Tony's voice from a little control tablet on the table in front of her, reaching over she pressed the accept button before answering him. "What?" "How big are your hands?" Pepper wrinkled her nose in confusion as she thought about his question "I don't understand why ..." and without waiting for her to finish her sentence Tony cut her off, "Get down here, I need your help."

Pepper's eyes widened as she gazed at her boss through the glass walls of his garage/office. "Hey, let me see your hands" he said simply as she made her way over to him holding her hands up in the air for him to see. "Oh, wow they are small, very petite.", as she moved her eyes remained glued to the blue metal contraption in the centre of his chest. "Oh my god, Is that what's keeping you alive?" She asked cautiously as she got closer to examine it in more detail. "It was, it is now an antique, this," he waved his right hand that was clutching a second arc reactor, "Is what will be keeping me alive for the foreseeable future, it's an upgrade, it just there's a little speed bump, a snag, there's an exposed wire that's contacting the socket wall, I need you to get it out." He grunted gently as he pulled the former arc reactor from his chest and handed it to Pepper, "I need you to reach in and pull out the copper wire, but don't let it touch the sides, like in operation." Pepper gave him a worried look and quietly asked what 'operation' was. "It's a game, never mind, just put your hand in and pull out the copper wire, no touching the sides and don't pull out the magnet at the bottom." Pepper nodded and put her hand into the metal hole of his chest but withdrew it quickly. "I don't think I'm qualified to do this." Tony shook his head and took her hand. "You are one of the most capable, qualified, trustworthy people I've ever met. You're gonna do great. But, uh is it too much to ask? Cos I really need your help here?" Pepper reached in once again and pulled the wire inside the cavity, resisting the urge to vomit at the feeling of thick liquid surrounding her fingers, "Urg there's puss!" She groaned, only to be counteracted by tony saying "It's an electronic discharge, it's from the device, not from my body, keep going." A few seconds later Pepper pulled a face again, "It smells!" Tony quirked a half grin and mumbled "Yeah it does, the copper wire, you got it? Now make sure you don't touch the si-AAAAHHHH!" Tony yelped in pain as the wire hit the metal casing. "yeah the sides, like that." Pepper shot him an apologising look but carried on pulling, "Yeah, that's it, keep pulling, but careful not to pull out the AAAAAAAAHHHH!" he wailed in pain as Pepper pulled the magnet from his chest with a wet pop. "Oh, my god what's wrong?" pepper asked, her expression getting more and more worried. "Oh nothing, I'm just going into cardiac arrest," Tony replied in an attempt to stay calm. "Ok we gotta hurry, take this" he said passing her the upgrade, "And attach it to the base plate." Pepper stopped and put her hand on his shoulder, "Tony, it's going to be ok, I'm going to make this ok!" She Put the wires from the new arc reactor to the base plate and screwed it down, retracting her hands quickly, as Tony once again yelled in pain, but turned quickly to look at her. "See, was it really that hard? Are you ok?" he asked chuckling at her pale face. "Don't ever, ever do that again!" She scolded, moving so he could sit upright.

"What do you want me to do with this?" Pepper asked holding up the old, dead arc reactor. "Destroy it, incinerate it." He said calmly turning back to his desk. "You don't want to keep it? It has a lot of memories for you?" she asked, He sighed and put down the towel he was folding, fighting back a few tears to keep the cool facade in front of pepper. "I've been called many things, nostalgic isn't one of them." Pepper looked into his now slightly red rimmed eyes and took note of the thicker tone in his voice before just "hmmm"ing at him and walking away telling him she was going to keep it as she left the office.

Tony sighed and threw himself onto the sofa in his office, letting his mind roll back through his memories and a few stray tears to roll down his cheeks.

* * *

"Get up!" Obadiah Stane commanded Lilly as she slumped in the chair she had been thrown into to have her identity abused. Lilly obliged feeling too broken and battered to fight with the bigger man; she raised her head and took the mirror from his hand and gazed at her reflection, seeing someone she didn't even recognise staring back at her. Her long brown curls had been cut into a stylish bob just hitting her jaw bone and full of layers, it had also been dyed a light blond, a popular colour among the rich and famous of Malibu, her honey coloured eyes had been covered with green contacts, and her lips had been plumped into a perfect celebrity pout. Sniffing back tears, she looked up at Obadiah, and whispered "Why? Why are you doing this to me?" she asked, her voice coming out stronger than she felt. "Why?" He laughed, taking the mirror from her hands "You are my key to getting into Tony Stark's mind." He pulled her up by the back of her torn and tattered batman t-shirt, "Don't worry Miss King, as long as you do as you're told, your family will be kept intact and you will be treated like a princess. But if you go against me, I will take out your family one by one, starting with that cute little sister of yours, just like I told you before. Do you think you can play ball Miss King?" He asked as he led her into a plush looking luxury bedroom, with pearly blue walls, a large wooden bed with white and baby blue silk bed sheets, three white teddy bears sat on top of the pillows. Tears sprung to Lilly's eyes as she saw a framed photo of her, Jack and Mia on holiday in Africa, she picked up the silver photo frame and turned it over in her fingers, feeling the tears running down her face. She looked back up at Obadiah who stood in the doorway waiting for her response, she sniffed gently, before nodding her head "I'll do it, I'll play." The older man nodded and left the room locking the door behind her.

Lilly turned her gaze back to the photograph in her hand and whispered quietly to herself, "I had better make the most of this, at least I'll see Tony again, and maybe I'll be able to tell him somehow."


End file.
